Blog 10: I initially expected to learn information from this course that I could apply to my everyday life. This initial expectation was definitely met. I personally feel like I have gained a better understanding of the people around me. I am not quick to judge anyone anymore because I take into consideration, for example, that their background or the way that they may have been raised may be different from mine. As I’ve progressed through this course, I have gotten more and more interested in cross-cultural psychology as a whole. I would definitely read the textbook for fun or do more research on the side if I do not follow a career path that relates to this course. To be honest, I feel like I’ve achieved the course objectives successfully. I understand more about cultural diversity and its impacts, I have developed a greater understanding of people from different cultures, and I feel like my critical thinking skills have been enhanced. If I took this class again I would apply myself from the get go. I would work smarter and harder and I would definitely make time to communicate with the professor more about questions I have relating to cross-cultural psychology that are of personal interest of mine. One skill that I have gained from this course that I can utilize in my professional life is the skill of critical thinking. I also feel like I’ve gained a more open mindset of the variety of people that surround me in this world. In addition I’m more open to experiencing new things and would like to travel to different parts of the world. I’m not anxious to try and visit new places anymore!

Blog 9: In this course I have learned a lot about how people can react differently to different situations depending upon the type of culture they grew up in and also how culture can have an effect on what may be displayed in the media (TV, movies, etc.). In addition, I have learned quite a bit about myself in this course. This course has allowed me to look deep within myself and discover how I behave in certain situations and why I might do so. There have been times when one of the concepts from one area have spilled over into another. For example, some of my blog posts have related to my Assignment 1 Takeaway because, for the takeaway, I had to think about how I interact with people from other cultures on a daily basis. I also had to think about how I perceive people from other cultures, which was surprisingly difficult. However, the blogs and the assignment takeaways have allowed me to reflect on myself and the things that I have learned. One thing that I have learned in this course that relates to what I have learned in Psychology of Adolescence is the benefit(s) of being exposed to other cultures, especially at an early age, such as in intercultural or interracial families.

Blog 8: This was interesting to read about. I’ve never really thought about how people may express themselves differently in other cultures or that they may perceive others emotions differently. I have noticed that people from different cultures may have a more “strict” facial expression during certain ceremonies or events, but I never understood why. After reading the attached article, it helped me to understand that people from other cultures may express themselves differently because of how they may have been taught to deal with their emotions in certain settings. This is going to be useful knowledge to know because this can help me in future interactions and hopefully prevent misunderstandings. Learning about cultural display rules definitely helps me to understand some of my previous experiences with my close friend and her family (they are from Vietnam). Learning about the cultural rules also provides clarity and gives me a better understanding of why someone from another culture may have a “different” reaction to a situation than I.

Blog 7: I am surprised that I’ve rarely connected the dots between fairy tales and cultural norms and values. I grew up watching many fairy tales such as Snow White, Cinderella, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, etc. One thing I noticed as I grew up was that there always seemed to be a stereotypical story where there is a beautiful princess that must be rescued by a knight and shining armor (because they may be too defenseless to do so themselves). I believe that most fairy tales reflect a shared set of cultural norms because years ago women were not regarded as equal to men, they were to stay home, take care of the children, etc. while the men were out at their jobs or getting an education. In some fairy tales, the main female character’s father would make her marry a male that she does not even know or even love just because that man may be of a higher status. I’m not the best when it comes to remembering history, however, I do recall learning that this used to happen often years ago. Also, after reading the article about how Disney is trying to be more inclusive, it is clear that what is becoming today’s cultural norms is slowly being integrated into modern fairy tales to reflect what is currently occurring. I’m also a big fan of the movies Brave and Tangled! I still watch them sometimes. Brave is definitely one of my favorite movies of all time because the main character showed that females are just as capable of doing what males can do and also that females should be able to do what males can do (reflects feminism and gender equality).

  I just thought this was an interesting photo of the Disney princesses to add.

Blog 6: As far as academics are concerned, self determination is definitely needed. As a college student, I need self-determination in order to achieve my goals. Self-determination is needed because this is the stage of my life where I am gaining more and more independence and need to have the determination and will to get my work done, be proactive, etc. in order to succeed. Since people are considered autonomous whenever they act in accord with their interests, I’d definitely consider myself autonomous at this point in my life, or at the very least, entering the stage of autonomy. I consider myself autonomous because, as a student, I am trying to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life and in order to do that, I must figure out what I am interested in so that the career I choose to have will be enjoyable. I’m currently acting in accordance with my desires and interests because I desire a career that will offer a high salary and in order to achieve this, I must go through the appropriate amount of schooling, etc.

Blog 5: Based upon my ten statements, it would appear as though I fall more under the category of “Independent Construal of Self”. In my ten statements I was more or less describing my own personal traits such as me being a hard worker, a deep thinker, there for others, etc. I did find it easy to come up with proverbs that reflect the independent self and I believe that is because I am always trying to constantly improve upon my own qualities…However, I am not trying to improve upon myself for only myself. I try to make these improvements for the benefit of others too. This is where I got a bit confused because when I was writing my ten statements, I would think about how that quality would be perceived by others and if it would benefit them as well. It’s a bit hard to explain and I may be coming off a bit confusing…or maybe I am just confusing myself, but I just thought I’d put that out there. Moving on, as I stated before, I do think I have more of an independent way of thinking or perceiving myself because I am constantly picking myself apart (I am my own worst enemy at times) trying to improve upon physical, mental, or spiritual qualities. Let’s say I was having a normal day at ODU and as I was walking around campus, I notice how someone walks by me and they seem completely confident. I will all of a sudden analyze my posture, facial expression, mood, and much more and start comparing myself to them because I automatically think that I am not presenting myself to be a confident person. As you can see, I am hard on myself (95 percent of the time) and, ironically, I am working on trying to not be that way.

Blog 4: To prepare for the first exam, I read all of the chapters, but I did not just read to “get the assignment done”. I was actually very invested in what I was reading. Every single fact kept getting my attention and capturing my interest and it made learning the information that much more enjoyable and easier in a way. In addition, I also wrote down the answers to the review questions as I read through the chapters (a bit last minute). To better prepare for future tests, I ought to attend the review sessions that are held for these tests and write down the answers to the review questions ahead of time so that I can review them before I take the exam and retain more of the information. One thing that I have started doing (that’s fairly new) is talking to my loved ones about what I am learning in this course. This helps me to retain and understand the information that I am explaining to others more deeply.

Blog 3: The results of the NEO personality test were as expected. I scored highly in conscientiousness and openness. I’m almost a nice mix between being extraverted and introverted as well. These results were accurate because I am a very open-minded person and am open to all possibilities. I’m also easygoing and accepting of others and their differences. As far as conscientiousness is concerned, I am always trying to keep things in order and I consistently think of ways I can succeed, from short-term goals to long-term goals. I am also a bit high on the sensitivity side of things. I am generally sensitive to others (more in an empathic way) and can be emotional. However, I am not prone to experiencing feelings that are upsetting. Another thing that this personality test got correct was how I scored on agreeableness. I was more in the average category. It is true that, in general, I’m very warm, agreeable, and trustworthy with everyone, however, at times I can be highly competitive and stubborn.

Blog 2: I decided to pursue a higher education because, in order to get a well paying job, a higher education is a must in this society. Of course everyone’s circumstances differ and if one happens to suddenly become famous that can have its perks, but for the most part pursuing a higher education is a must for getting a well paying job. I am still unsure as to what I plan on doing in the future, however, I plan on either going to Med. School or pursuing a doctorate in psychology. Money, however, is not my only reason for pursuing a higher education. I honestly enjoy learning new things and gaining knowledge. Another reason why I’ve decided to continue onto higher education is because I want to meet new people and make connections. There is a plethora of amazing, intelligent, and driven people out there and I’d love to get to know them and possibly have their “drive to succeed” rub off on me! My parents and two older sisters have all graduated college. My mom went to college a year early (she currently has a masters degree) and my father has his doctorate and is a part of the ODU faculty. They’ve always stressed the importance of school and to not let anything get in the way of it. They aren’t terribly strict, but they do make it clear that they want me to succeed and be happy in life and that, in turn, has made me want to be successful as well. My parents have always been there for me when it comes to school and I am forever grateful that they’ve instilled these values upon me.

Blog 1: As I reviewed the objectives for Psych420, I noticed that they will be very helpful for me in the future. These objectives will be useful because they will help me to be able to successfully interact with people from other cultures and develop a deeper understanding of them. These course objectives are highly applicable to real life considering our world is made up of people from a variety of locations, backgrounds, and cultures. Being able to understand cultural diversity and its impact on human life will help us to, if not fully connect, relate to one another and get along on a respectful level. The critical thinking skills that I will develop from this course will help me with my future courses and everyday life. I expect this course to teach me about how people from different cultures can have different behaviors, ways of thinking, etc. I am hoping to gain a plethora of knowledge from this course that I can use in my everyday life and pass on to those around me as well. To ensure my success in this course I will not procrastinate, I will read the chapters, contact my professor if I have any questions, and I will use a planner to keep my assignments with their respective due dates organized.